I'd also recommend https://lemmyverse.net/communities for finding new communities as it sorts by active users and other metrics. Set which instance you're on with the house button in the top right so all the links take you to the instance you're logged in on.
You can read and write everything everywhere with a single account, unless you can't.
Defederation is a thing. Your server probably doesn't interact with the whole fediverse. Check who blocks whom here: https://federation-checker.vercel.app/
This decentralization is both the strength of the lemiverse but also what worry's me right now. I've seen post on other instances asking for sh.itjust.works to be defederalized just because it doesn't block other harmful instances.
Beehaw did a similar thing where they defederalized themselves from other large instances.
I really hope it doesn't, but if this continues then we'll just be left with a bunch of tiny, pointless forums.
I would love to join your instance natively, but it still says registration application pending even after 4-5 days.
I understand that you guys are getting a ton of people coming in, so I'm fine with waiting in the queue. I'm just wanted to double check that my application wasn't lost in the mess.